The Colorist
Archive

A living archive of how artists work with color across time. Each artist profile scans publicly available works to trace dominant colors, a chromatic fingerprint, and the arc of a palette across a lifetime.A living archive of how artists work with color across time, tracing palettes, fingerprints, and lifetime arcs from public works.

Begin with an artist, carry a palette into the drawing system, or read the wider project.Begin with an artist, carry a palette into the drawing system, or read the wider project.

Scanning works…

Henri Matisse

Matisse pursued maximum chromatic intensity with minimum means. His Fauvist work exploded conventional color relationships; his later cut-outs reduced color to pure flat areas of saturated pigment.

Palette: #BFB6A9 #726B5B #B49664 #131212 #B97B3B #AF4F3C #853821 #A7231D

  • The Dessert: Harmony in Red (the Red Room) (1907): #9C0230 #20181C #921336 #1B4C46 #C66E3B #801B38
  • Moroccans (1915): #242220 #C0B8B1 #A58C90 #6E7F6B #B18E67 #C7A99A
  • Odalisque with a Tambourine (1925): #816D5E #3D3C34 #432921 #A12209 #7A2915 #247B6B
  • Dance (I) (1909): #1B5C9A #E7A596 #078471 #35628A #C1A097 #968581
  • Japonaise: Woman Beside the Water (1905): #CEC4B2 #81AF96 #CAA99C #227E65 #C1637F #B13B5F
  • Study for "Luxe Calme et Volupté (1904): #BFB3A7 #B6867D #728790 #D0C08A #2C487A #195E54
  • Madras Rouge (1907): #122331 #214671 #D1B9A5 #4A6F93 #7C381E #9A9376
  • Le Mur Rose (1898): #C1A05F #A19F8E #CDC8AA #90794D #857515 #5A5A41
  • Seated Riffian (1912): #9E4848 #41584B #B58F4D #6A9082 #687A99 #9A6C2A
  • L'Atelier Rouge (1911): #903C26 #AF8261 #CA6F96 #795C33 #D2AC96 #BAC5BB
  • Goldfish (1912): #B99088 #21251E #0F824F #5EB287 #646C58 #3A9332
  • Male Model (1900): #1F242B #496F87 #8E8A67 #425D60 #5B7EB2 #475B97
  • Yellow Odalisque (1926): #B46D58 #AC8874 #DEBBA0 #76584B #D69A76 #F6AE59
  • Odalisque with Raised Arms (1923): #E7C2AE #C9B99E #A78958 #9BA38D #407D45 #D9B775
  • Les Toits de Collioure (1905): #D5CCBE #CC99A4 #B4443C #728DA4 #C26C5E #B86D7F
  • Dishes and Fruit (1901): #588990 #9D7693 #78849C #AF8536 #565B86 #865066
  • Matisse. Two Odalisques (1928): #D9AA92 #9E8361 #DBCFC6 #BA4E3B #719281 #2C4538
  • La Pourvoyeuse: #28241E #494334 #181713 #796547 #CDB586 #A48960
  • Selvportræt (1906): #D8CDBF #9BAFB1 #50433D #BEA599 #907667 #68645D
  • Deux Figures Étendues dans la Campagne, Ombrelle Verte (1921): #C8BDB2 #516358 #7F8876 #3C4540 #A29897 #4C6692
  • View of Notre Dame. Paris, Quai Saint-Michel, Spring (1914): #5F797A #3D5658 #1F261E #8E978A #435249 #757852
  • Marguerite (1901): #C9B7A3 #33302B #998E84 #76675D #71747C #171F28
  • Bouquet de Marguerites: #332C16 #6D6B4B #1F2013 #635123 #4C462A #0A0E0D
  • Coquelicots et Iris I (1912): #DFDDC8 #7B4233 #3C5356 #0E1520 #6A7B72 #A0A69B
  • Coquelicots et Iris II (1912): #DEDAC4 #324047 #854337 #B6A09F #AC4237 #DFD192
  • La Raie: #49391D #2D2613 #15110A #7B6132 #AE8C4D #1D1E12
  • Le Petit Capella (1903): #362F16 #100E0C #281C0C #76562A #473314 #C09757
  • Marguerite au Chapeau de Cuir (1914): #D9DBD6 #8EC2D3 #EECCA1 #B5AEA4 #2084C7 #4FA3C8
  • Nature Morte à la Bouteille de Schiedam (1896): #0A0E12 #1C1F18 #91906F #3A3B2B #BABA99 #5F5F47
  • The Young Sailor II (1906): #C29A94 #3E4F6C #04504A #938588 #5A697F #803A26
  • Woman Reading (1895): #221D14 #3D301E #4F492D #11100E #76704A #9D9366
  • The Dinner Table (1896): #89928E #3C4446 #24232C #5F6967 #BBC0B4 #12121E
  • Bathers with a Turtle (1907): #588068 #C2AB98 #3C517F #436482 #AF8D73 #8C7D6F
  • La Négresse (1952): #F0E1D7 #403C39 #4979BC #F2871F #D44A6D #F3B97B
  • Le Rideau Jaune (1915): #BA8F3B #85A1C8 #82ADA3 #AC7358 #4C4844 #C3A568
  • Interior with a Young Girl (Girl Reading) (1905): #AEA592 #869D88 #43836C #0D4F3D #A97879 #AB4C2A
  • Still Life with Aubergines (1911): #B3AE9B #7F99A2 #2D856D #C78F44 #CD5E3B #C9A162
  • Woman with a Veil (1927): #8D4C56 #34322E #8D8C8A #5C5340 #86715C #92793F
  • Blue Nude (1907): #16161F #AEA283 #303432 #7E7147 #E2D2BB #6C736C
  • Woman with a Hat (1905): #6F9896 #CDBAA8 #1A7B7A #104E51 #384A6D #15356F
  • Blue Nude IV (1952): #ACA090 #4F5C90 #3B4781 #7B7B8C #735E50 #8F8174
  • Music (1910): #417978 #304472 #C9583E #A4321C #1F5B59 #994C3A
  • Game of Bowls (1908): #688D4F #E9C295 #6D78A7 #43733A #961E0F #BD996B
  • Still Life with Blue Tablecloth (1909): #91A99F #12274C #29406A #4E6383 #64797E #0A182D
  • The Joy of Life (1906): #CDC0B0 #C2B281 #607F7C #DBC569 #B05928 #DFD1A7
  • Green Stripe (1905): #6FA593 #B25B3D #BA6E72 #DDC2A6 #293557 #CA96BF
  • Luxe, Calme et Volupté (1904): #E5DFD3 #B2C4C1 #C9B4AF #E6D37F #EFE5B2 #CA8E76
  • La Blouse Roumaine (1940): #E9ECE7 #C1231D #0F2149 #88857A #A50E0B #100E14
  • The Open Window (1905): #D1CFCF #DBA5A1 #7FB4BE #318A8A #143137 #AD4A47
  • Notre-Dame, One Late Afternoon (1902): #7084A9 #9EBDCA #4C6091 #929DB7 #8B7D8E #43587B
  • Piano Lesson (1916): #6F706A #5C7351 #9B9A97 #976C5C #41403A #252521
  • Portrait of Greta Moll (1908): #C5D2C2 #E6CAA5 #1D1A06 #88A088 #62725E #C66538
  • Self-Portrait in a Striped T-Shirt (1906): #D4CBBE #52433B #A1A5A0 #82ACAD #B5988D #2F2C2A
  • Still Life with Geraniums (1910): #9ABDDE #B0CBBB #B91917 #4A6162 #577931 #2F1A13
  • The Conversation (1908): #224FA2 #111A20 #337149 #214282 #4D86D2 #89B2E4
  • The Music Lesson (1917): #9F9C97 #757470 #58524E #7D9872 #A4815C #84634E
  • The Painter and His Model (1917): #2B2A28 #AAA694 #6D6761 #423C35 #584A38 #7E643F
  • View of Notre-Dame (1914): #8B9BBF #5C6EA0 #2D2E30 #B4BDD1 #6F7A94 #545763
  • Window at Tangier (1912): #0C456D #0F568D #3F81BC #043E58 #D09268 #CBB9B4
  • Woman on a High Stool (1914): #555451 #373634 #7D7A70 #252423 #85513F #BFC3C0
  • Zorah on the Terrace (1912): #3896A2 #109190 #2C3E60 #BFB29A #36799A #3F5878
  • Seville Still Life (1910): #D55C5C #BB402E #CEBEAD #BC5B5A #154350 #0D1953
  • Crockery on a Table (1900): #52231A #894A20 #432722 #8D301D #9B533E #633D32
  • Still Life with the Dance (1909): #E5B482 #CA948B #BF7D34 #597B81 #C97598 #475195
  • The Three Sisters (1917): #403727 #72542F #1F1F19 #AD9386 #CDBFA0 #BA885E
  • Nu Drapé Étendu (1923): #C0BCB6 #914438 #8D897F #CAAB96 #5C574E #603F32
  • Young Woman in White on a Red Background (1946): #D8D8DD #B21921 #BAB5B6 #6279A2 #C78551 #A62B34
  • Blue Still Life (Nature Morte Bleue) (1907): #C7C7C3 #97A5A5 #475E73 #628CA5 #2A3F46 #522A17
  • Studio with Goldfish (l'Atelier aux Poissons Rouges) (1912): #171A23 #1D253A #375597 #672914 #9E7137 #B89688
  • Still Life with Gourds (Nature Morte aux Coloquintes) (1916): #393637 #AFA6A1 #B5935E #74716F #1F4A42 #B99934
  • Three Sisters and "the Rose Marble Table" (Les Trois Sœurs à "la Table de Marbre Rose") (1917): #C3B389 #232933 #8D8E81 #A27538 #322924 #AC8D61
  • Odalisque (1920): #C4B4A6 #B79470 #967245 #A66635 #968674 #844721
  • Vue sur la Baie de Tanger (1912): #C4AE8C #B6ABA3 #5E796C #7B7243 #877F75 #AE8B5D
  • Woman Seated in an Armchair (1922): #A06E42 #CD8F59 #BC9D7B #EADDC5 #79411C #582810
  • La Leçon de Peinture or la Séance de Peinture [the Painting Lesson or the Painting Session] (1919): #D3CBBC #261C16 #B6A068 #C09D45 #9C8375 #B9AE9A
  • Portrait of the Artist's Wife (1913): #404A6A #536CA1 #6493AA #313240 #546C74 #6090E5
  • Painter's Family (1911): #E1D4BF #161414 #B6782D #982517 #E53516 #DC9C84
  • Vase of Sunflowers (1898): #A79886 #866F58 #94723E #1E2A34 #636968 #7C542D
  • Olga Merson (1911): #759384 #7B865B #07355B #B2A38F #70431D #3F5871
  • Marguerite with Black Velvet Ribbon (1916): #405747 #C39875 #957252 #38281B #BC5038 #644C36
  • View of Collioure (1907): #ECDAC6 #402E29 #4D6048 #C48733 #E5B772 #85440C
  • Laurette in a Green Robe, Black Background (1916): #121212 #3B5F2C #AC756D #8A5F4C #223923 #3B4526
  • Nature Morte Avec Livres (1895): #6D7459 #45473A #1D231E #876D41 #4F4027 #161513
  • Olive Trees at Collioure (1906): #1B2020 #6E7782 #999A8B #2B6359 #B3847D #123A32
  • Espagnole: Harmonie en Bleu (Spanish Woman: Harmony in Blue) (1923): #CAAE8B #957D67 #B29693 #272A1F #5C5644 #C19F40
  • Nasturtiums with the Painting "Dance" I (1912): #067760 #B97455 #2862A1 #BC9684 #8E412C #BA8241
  • The Three O'clock Sitting (1924): #AD5D3D #B8A99F #BB9963 #AA753F #865939 #6D3723
  • Odalisque, Harmony in Red (1926): #AA8E72 #AF3830 #989E8A #963931 #A8685E #651F18
  • Seated Odalisque (1926): #CCB69D #63847C #5D592D #4E5F7E #191617 #533E38
  • The Goldfish Bowl (1921): #938878 #948157 #6C4A26 #695F4D #606A61 #3B3A34
  • Girl by a Window (1921): #A29582 #776854 #A98F5F #8A6739 #2F241A #494335
  • Still Life (1905): #B79890 #B7B58F #455F8D #B48212 #886034 #9E540C
  • Palm Leaf, Tangier (1912): #44A285 #746A5E #E4CA9B #B5AF82 #978971 #D37E5E
  • Les Gorges du Loup (1922): #7B8258 #516B4D #434D36 #B5B6B4 #605E3A #A5A384
  • Pianist and Checker Players (1924): #954624 #C58870 #AC9D7D #7E5438 #743322 #AA4845
  • Apples (1916): #D1944F #060B0D #B7582C #C7393A #CD685F #982C25
  • Girl in Yellow and Blue with Guitar (1939): #3C5677 #708AAC #D6BC6C #901A16 #0E0D11 #CBBAAA
  • Place des Lices, Saint-Tropez (1904): #633C1D #7C6B64 #BCC9D2 #283A4F #E8D8B1 #3B1C0B
  • Woman on Rose Divan (1921): #663C40 #703D2E #947664 #969183 #452621 #886066
  • Pink Onions (1906): #D7BE9A #406958 #708AB1 #689D8C #EEE2C7 #6E8176
  • The Geranium (1906): #C1C8C3 #96B7D4 #D6CB8F #1B342A #426F5F #B88F61
  • Lemons on a Pewter Plate (1926): #E1D7C6 #573A1B #8D472C #86765F #7B5E3E #D7916E
  • Interior at Nice (1919): #A3A08F #A28A6F #B08D56 #88A6AC #706759 #B47C7C
  • Woman Before an Aquarium (1922): #836D5C #5C7078 #503825 #285464 #421D10 #946640
  • Lorette with Cup of Coffee (1916): #CBC7C2 #D5B88E #0F0F14 #A77F5C #998F87 #6E645E
  • Daisies (1939): #C0BBB6 #151413 #C31E17 #D0A89E #7CB0A3 #5F8849
  • Street at Arcueil (1899): #815230 #5F4941 #4D2A16 #DCC985 #AD7F4F #886D5B
  • Still Life with Nutcracker (1916): #141211 #9C7A4E #64391A #6E6F63 #2C2923 #424B4A
  • Le Luxe II (1908): #E7B57E #6B9C9A #DDCDC4 #BE6B52 #78A1DE #B69879
  • Interior with a Violin (1918): #34302F #675B4C #989698 #DBD1C8 #BAAEA2 #DDC6A5
  • The Green Blouse (1936): #89592F #5B331C #AE814D #C3B068 #517467 #832C13
  • Page1-960px-Catalogue of an Exhibition of Modern French Painting, from Manet to Matisse, Toronto, 1933.pdf (1933): #E1DDC9 #4A3A31 #6F5D4C #93826E #B9AB97
  • Parrot Tulips (<ul>): #6B4F33 #C8D0CF #4A341E #8AB2D3 #91704D #4B78CB
  • Le Palais, Belle Île (6 Ap): #9F9D98 #634E2C #2D2F31 #8A7646 #716D63 #12110D
  • The Dance (1933): #8D796B #AE9E8F #EEE7DF #080508 #D3C5B3 #A2443B
  • Annelies, White Tulips and Anemones (1944): #3A3436 #7D5B46 #E1C7B0 #B48D75 #A9A29A #696E70

The Palette

The Works

How the palette changed

Chromatic Comparison

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